


with you (always)

by squiirby



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Robots, Romance, Science, Self-Discovery, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) Season 5 Spoilers, Sort Of, They OWN ME, alternative title: hordak learns what love is and entrapta is SUPER into it, i can never stay away for long, so much science and robots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:14:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24204964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/squiirby/pseuds/squiirby
Summary: Horde Prime has been defeated and Etheria is finally at peace- but among a sea of confused clones desperately searching for identities of their own outside of the hivemind, Hordak searches for purpose among the chaos.And Entrapta fully plans on staying beside him the whole way.(Spoilers for She-Ra Season 5 ahead.)
Relationships: Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra)
Comments: 61
Kudos: 535





	1. reunited

**Author's Note:**

> here i am, back on my entrapdak throne. this is my hill and i'll die on it- and i plan on having some fun with this! prepare for self discovery, slow burn romance, and so, so much science. probably too much science.  
> we got plenty of entrapdak content in season 5 but i felt like for all of the shippers, it deserved a bit more of a conclusion. so hopefully if all goes to plan, this will be a multi-part, very sweet elaboration on what i think they might have ended up doing after the finale.

For the first night in a long time, the moon shone on Etheria at peace.

Entrapta wasn’t _asleep,_ of course. There were thousands of more interesting things to do rather than _sleep-_ help organize the clones, for one, who were flocking from miles around in a wayward search for their fallen leader. She also had been roped into helping tend the wounded, which was not nearly as fun as parading around with a very eager to assist Hordak.

Having Hordak back was better than she’d imagined. After she’d gotten over her initial excitement and his long-suffering tough act, the two had decided to stay together for the remainder of however long the rebellion chose to stick around. Entrapta had already decided on going back to Dryl once their time in the wilds of Etheria was up, but that was still one horizon away, and she could enjoy the night, at least.

Hordak had been an eager listener as she recounted their very harrowing close call with Prime. He’d flinched when she mentioned him, though, so she quickly diverted to launching into a very long exposition about the hivemind, which she found more interesting, anyway. Hordak just seemed to like to be near her.

He didn’t seem angry or snappy, which Entrapta thought was a definite mark of improvement on his usual attitude. Instead he just seemed...tired. And perhaps a bit introspective. As always, he was a good listener- just as good as she was as talking his very cute pointy ears off about tech- and had reserved only a few words for the most important of conversations.

The most memorable of which was, “I missed you”.

They were three simple words, but they meant everything to Entrapta. He had _missed_ her. Hordak, once the fearsome leader of the Horde on Etheria, her grumpy overlord-turned lab partner, had _missed_ her. And she had missed him, of course- she’d missed him every day since Beast Island, whether or not she admitted it- so it was nice to finally hear it.

Hordak himself had seemed quite content with shadowing her. He found no interest in the clones and instead remained by her side, pointedly ignoring the sideways glances and meaningful glares the rest of the rebellion shot his way. She liked that he didn’t seem to care. 

Because she didn’t really care, either.

The cool night breeze wafted through the makeshift campsite, and while the rest of the rebellion began plans for returning back to their respective kingdoms, Entrapta distanced herself. Not really because she didn’t feel like talking, but because she thought maybe she could coax something out of Hordak, who was standing by himself at the edge of the grassy crater, looking out into the wilds.

Entrapta scrambled up the hill and announced her presence with a loud “Hi, Hordak!” and tiptoed on her hair over to him. Hordak’s glossy green eyes reflected an endless galaxy, and he acknowledged her with a slight glance and a twitch in his ear. She brushed a tendril of hair along his back and he didn’t move, simply shifted his weight closer to her, arms crossed tightly over his chest.

“So...” Entrapta looked out into the forest beyond them, luscious and colorful even in the soft grays and blues of the night. “How are you feeling? About all this Horde stuff, I mean,” she added. “If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s fine. It’s just I-”

“I don’t know.” His answer was blunt, to the point, as he always was. “I don’t...have a purpose anymore, Entrapta.” He looked back, and for a moment she saw herself reflected in his eyes, and saw a confused, stricken clone in place of the once overconfident and ambitious overlord she remembered so well. “I can still feel the hivemind. I can still...”

He scoffed and looked away, back out onto the endless horizon. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Hey, now,” Entrapta protested softly, reaching out and placing a small, gloved hand on his shoulder. He stiffened in surprise and looked down quickly, ears turning an interesting shade of red before looking away. “That’s not true. You’re _Hordak_ . You’re not Prime, not just a clone, you’re _you_ again.” She managed a smile.

“You’re still my lab partner, right?”

Hordak looked back in surprise, eyes wide. “Do you still... _want_ me to be?”

“Of course!” she cried, hair wrapping around his shoulders and gently pulling him closer, grinning so wide she was afraid her face might crack. “I’ll admit, those princesses really don’t hold a candle to how great of a lab partner you were.” She paused and frowned in consideration. “Or really a blowtorch, or a _floodlight_ , even. A candle is generous.”

“Well, in that case, I...” Hordak glanced down, as if he were afraid to meet her eyes, and she noticed he looked...flushed. _Hmm, I’ll have to write that down somewhere._ “I would follow you anywhere, Entrapta. I may not have a purpose, but I do have _you_.”

Entrapta gently reached out and took his hands in her own, and for a moment she felt the smooth texture of the crystal in his hand as their palms pressed together, which she’d guessed he’d been holding. “You’ll always have me, you know,” she said with a smile. “As long as you’d like.”

“And I, you,” he replied solemnly. It felt like there was a certain weight behind his words that she couldn’t quite understand. Perhaps it was something that merited further investigation. It always was with Hordak, which is probably why she found him so interesting.

“In that case,” Entrapta said, with a mischievous smirk, “You’d better be ready for _Hordak’s Super Impressive Armor Redesign, Part Two_ \- because that’s what you’re getting if you stick with me.”

“I’d...love that.” He looked down at her with such an incredibly gentle expression on his face, a stark contrast to the once twisted snarl he most commonly wore. Entrapta felt her heart melt to wax and form a puddle in the bottom of her chest, and she couldn’t fight back the emotions rising in her chest.

“I’d love that, Entrapta.”

  
  


_BRAND NEW Log, Day 1:_

_Hordak and I are sticking together, it seems. He’s agreed to accompany me back to Dryl! Of course, I have no problems with this. Rebuilding my old place will take some work, and I’m happy to have him along. Not to mention everything with the clones...but that’s not important! We’re back together, and that’s what counts._

_Additional notes: Hordak is a very heavy sleeper. He was so exhausted that night he slept through most of the next morning. He needed it! His hair apparently gets all nappy when he sleeps on it. I will have to further investigate this phenomenon._

_I am looking forward to this._


	2. wayfarers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Entrapta and Hordak travel to Dryl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so much love and thanks to everyone who read/is continuing to keep up with this fic! i have a lot of plans and just need some time to set it up. i hope everyone who reads enjoys! <3

The trip to Dryl was apparently long.

And Hordak couldn’t have minded less.

He normally would have found no interest in traveling. Back during his time in the Fright Zone, traveling was a nuisance that was meant to be overcome by fast machinery and getting from point A to point B without issue. But with Entrapta, this was hardly the case- she showed him absolutely everything she found interesting, told him little factoids about certain fauna they saw- and in her own words, “biology may not be my thing, but it sure is cool to look at!”

He was just glad it was with _her._

Hordak had been relieved when she suggested he come to Dryl with her. He didn't want to intrude- he knew Entrapta liked her space, and he was just glad he wasn’t roped into the same category as the rest of the former rebellion, which seemed to be at a level of respectful distance. A few quick goodbyes were mostly all that was spoken between her and the other Princesses, not to mention a promise to stay in touch, and after that Entrapta had seemed quite ready to leave the place where it had almost all ended behind.

He had to agree. Memories of Horde Prime inside his head were still lurking afterthoughts, and the further he was from those memories, the better. Though, he was slowly learning that physical distance did not always equal _mental_ distance.

The first time he’d really been bothered, he’d been looking down into a glossy, crystal clear lake, one that Entrapta had stopped by to fill her flasks with, Emily trotting behind her while she spoke into her recorder cheerfully. He had caught a glimpse of himself in the reflection of the water- smooth green eyes stared back at him, stark white hair combed back over his head, the familiar colors of Prime adorning his body.

Hordak had looked away, swallowing back the rising fear in his throat, pretending he had never seen it. After that, he avoided lakes. And ponds. And almost anything with a reflection.

Entrapta didn’t press the matter, even when she’d once caught him uncomfortably combing through his hair, sharp talons tugging at his scalp. He’d torn off the cape around his shoulders ages ago, and had intentionally scuffed up the chestplate. The armor itched against his skin, his cybernetic implants throbbing uncomfortably underneath the plasteel plates. 

He didn’t bother Entrapta with that fact. If what was on him now became too much of a problem, perhaps he’d bring it up, but for now, he could simply shut his mouth and deal with the discomfort. It was something he was used to, it wasn’t _new._ Entrapta’s exoskeleton had been a brief luxury that he was suddenly regretting not enjoying more when he had it.

But, of course, he couldn’t hide anything from her for long.

Their campfire crackled, casting a soft orange light on their makeshift “campsite”- or, an assortment of somewhat soft objects that Entrapta had collected from her things to create a somewhat habitable sleeping space for the night. They sat underneath a canopy of trees overhead, countless stars peeking through the leaves.

Entrapta sat across the fire from him, bundled up in her own hair and her free hands cheerfully working on something he couldn’t quite distinguish from the distance. It looked like one of Emily’s circuit board chips, which was further proven by the robot’s sad little _bloop_ and a panel flipped open on her back. Hordak couldn’t help but smile.

“Do you require assistance?” he asked, slowly rising to his feet.

Entrapta’s head whipped around, a wrench clamped between her teeth and a few odds and ends sticking out of her purple mane. “Oh, thanks! But I think I’ve got it covered. I’m just giving little ol’ Emily a well deserved tune-up!” In agreement, the robot let out a little series of happy chirps, and Hordak lowered himself back down into his very comfortable impression in the grass.

“I just needed something to do with tech,” she explained, almost absently, hands still working determinedly on the chip. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, plants are _pretty_ cool, but... I can’t wait until we get back home. We have so _much_ to work on! Better robots, more advancements to the castle, your armor...”

 _We_.

She fully intended on staying with him as long as he wanted. Not to mention she was dead set on helping him with his armor, which he would have to figure out how to express his gratefulness for in words. That was always hard. But hopefully, he would have time to prepare a speech for when they returned to her home and they got to work. A speech about her was something he could _do._

Hordak looked down into his hands and there sat the crystal, cool against his skin and catching orange fractures of light in the patterns, taking him back to before all of this, when she’d first built the exoskeleton. He’d never asked her what the markings on it meant. Perhaps he would, someday. 

“Hordak?”

Entrapta’s voice shook him out of his trance, and his claws closed gently around the crystal, pressing it into his palm. “Apologies,” he said. “I drifted off for a moment.”

She frowned at him and briefly set down the wrench she had been brandishing in her hand, momentarily releasing Emily from her tight grasp. “Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked. “Ever since we started this trip, you’ve been acting a little weird.” She laughed, waving a hand dismissively. “I mean, we _all_ have been a little weird, it’s totally understandable. But...” 

Her crimson eyes were flecked with oranges and yellows in the light of the fire and for a moment he was entranced by them- such a beautiful color, almost the red he had once had in his own eyes but with a shade of maroon underneath. For a moment he was enraptured in her gaze, and barely heard her say, “You can talk to me about anything, you know.”

He managed to break away from her gaze. “I know.”

After a heartbeat of silence passed, Entrapta sighed, patting Emily on the head and shutting the open panel, and marched over to him, as he simply watched in stunned silence. She sat down in the grass next to him with a soft _thump,_ and gently wound a tendril of hair around his lower body, leaning against him. She was warm- so _warm-_ and she smelled like firewood and mint.

He liked being near her.

After so many long nights with a mind full of emptiness, listening to the thrumming of the hivemind, waiting for orders from Prime, Hordak realized how much he had craved this. How much he craved _closeness._ Entrapta had always been so gently physical with him- brush downs, shoulder touches, anything in the lab. It was just something she did without thinking. And he wanted more of it.

“I suppose I’m just...uneasy.” His voice hung in the chilly night air and he winced at how clumsy the words sounded. “I can still feel them. The voices of my brothers. They are faint, but...” He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, fingers dipping into the small green divot, still a fresh wound. “I am still one of them.”

He took a shuddering breath.

“I am still made in the image of Prime.”

He felt a soft touch on his hand, still on the back of his neck, and looked down in surprise as Entrapta’s tiny gloved hand enveloped his palm and drew it back down onto his lap, giving it a gentle squeeze. “That’s only temporary, you know,” she said, with a soft smile. “We can get you some hair dye, we can fix the whole garish white color scheme...” She nudged him softly in the side, a twinkle in her eye, one he had grown to love (and sometimes fear) the sight of. “I bet you anything I can disconnect you from Prime’s neural network.”

Hordak ran a pointed thumb along her glove absentmindedly. “You never fail to impress me, both in confidence and in skill, Entrapta.”

He didn’t notice in the darkness, but her face slowly turned a dark shade of crimson.

They got to Dryl much faster than Hordak had expected.

He hadn’t expected such mountainous terrain in the outskirts of the kingdom, though. Entrapta handled it all too well, using her hair as dexterously as ever, leaping over particularly rough terrain like a gazelle. Normally Hordak too would have found no issue with it, but he found himself slipping up, the ache in his shoulders and along his body steadily growing worse.

Once or twice Entrapta had caught him, and he had grumbled apologies before struggling upright. It was getting worse, the discomfort in his body, and he had a sneaking suspicion Entrapta was going to figure it out sooner than later. She had plenty of other things to worry about- why waste her time with his trivial problems?

_After all, he was just one in a hundred thousand others like him._

Quickly shaking off that thought, he pressed on, careful to watch his step. He kept his eyes trained on the horizon, searching for the sight of Crypto Castle, which she had described to him in elaborate detail. Her descriptions of long hallways and labs filled with tools and half-finished projects was what allowed him to ignore the friction under his skin and the ache in his muscles and press forward, gritting his teeth.

“Hey, Hordak!” Entrapta had bounded ahead to scout out the terrain and looked back. “We’re almost to the mountain pass. I bet we’ll be able to see the castle here!” She stopped and frowned, looking back. “You doing okay?”

“I’m _fine_.” He didn’t mean to snap but the words came out with a jolt of pain down his back, and he bit back the sharpness in his tone. “I’m fine, Entrapta. It’s nothing to worry about.” He reached up to gingerly rub his shoulder, and groaned in frustration when he met only thick fabric and metal. 

“On the contrary.” Entrapta bounded up to him and looked him up and down, squinting her eyes at him. “You’re favoring your left leg, and based on the way you’re walking, I’d say your back and left shoulder hurt.” She crossed her arms. “Hordak, come on.”

He scoffed and looked away, shirking away from her, squaring his shoulders. “It’s nothing. It’s just...” He sighed and looked back, meeting her gaze, eyes full of worry and brow creased. “This armor doesn’t do much for my...imperfections.” The word tasted strange in his mouth. Unfamiliar.

“How long has it been like this?” 

“Not...long.”

“ _Hordak._ ”

He raised his hands in surrender. “Ever since I broke the mind control. It’s nothing, really. It’s just...I...” Hordak sighed. “I’m _fine_ , Entrapta. I’ve dealt with it before- I’m no stranger to battling my own defects. I can at least last until we arrive home.”

_Home._

For a rare, quiet moment, Entrapta was silent.

“It’s okay to ask for help, you know,” she said to him, softly. She reached out and touched his shoulder, and for a moment he felt her through the thick armor, leaning briefly into her touch, ears twitching as he listened to the hum of her voice. “I’m here for you. That’s what lab partners are for.”

For the first time in far too long, Hordak managed a smile.

“I suppose it is.”

“ _That’s_ my Hordak!” Entrapta grinned, before wrapping a coil of hair around his wrist and gently pulling him along. “Come on, we’re so close to the pass. We'll get to the castle before nightfall, and then we can finally, _finally_ get to work!”

The sun set on Etheria just as Crypto Castle appeared in the distance, tall, dark spires reaching upwards, teched-out front gates and walls shimmering in the light of the sunset. Entrapta let out a squeal of delight and Hordak exhaled deeply, feeling the cool air of the approaching night on his back. For once, he wasn’t concerned about what was to come.

As long as he had Entrapta, everything would be fine.

  
  


_Log: Day 3_

_Home at last! It was a long trip, but Hordak made it so much more bearable. We talked about all sorts of things on the way up, and it’s nice to catch up. He’s opening up more, finally. I think he’s having some identity issues- but it’ll be fine! We’ll work it out. I have full confidence he’ll pull out of this even stronger than he was when we first met! Not to mention it’s an excuse to work on new designs for the exoskeleton. I already have so many ideas..._

_Hordak is a good partner. I’m glad to have him with me. Maybe life as the princess of Dryl won’t be so...isolating anymore. I wish I could better tell him how I feel...but maybe I’ll just have to show it. I’m not very good at the whole “words” thing, anyway._


	3. home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> enjoy your fluff now, kids....it's all downhill from here

_Home._

The word sounded funny to Entrapta.

Though her Castle had been a convenience with all of her tools and machinery in one place, she’d never really needed to think of it as “home”. Which it was, of course- but when it’s you and a bunch of kitchen staff, “home” doesn’t really matter. The Fright Zone became “home” just as soon as Hordak had (then unwillingly) allowed her free roam of his labs and Sanctum.

Dryl was, technically, her home. But for some reason, Hordak’s immediate interest in the security system and the elaborate setup of the maze of a Castle was more heartwarming to her than actually being _home_ after so long- for some reason, she got the feeling she’d have been just as happy anywhere else so long as he’d been there. It was an odd feeling, one she wasn’t accustomed to, but she _liked_ it.

“...and I have a separate room dedicated entirely to robotics,” she continued as the two walked down one of the long halls of Crypto Castle, the hum of her self-powering engines below their feet thrumming in tune with their footsteps. Hordak’s pale green eyes were taking in everything, and she couldn’t help the happiness bubbling up in her chest when he asked her questions about everything, fascinated with the castle she’d spent most of her life working on and living in.

“But we can do the full tour tomorrow,” she said, yawning and stretching out her arms over her head, hair fluffing up and mimicking her movement. “For now, I’m tired.” She reached out and nudged him softly in the side. “And I know you are too, so don’t even _try_ to say you’re not.”

Hordak huffed but she saw the tiniest of smiles tug at the corner of his mouth, and saw the tips of his ears twitch for a moment. “If you insist.” He still seemed a little uncomfortable in whatever Prime had rigged up for him, and Entrapta itched to fix it, to get him in her lab, but that would have to wait, mostly because she hadn’t slept in twenty hours. Neither had Hordak, and tried as he might, he couldn’t hide it from her.

“Come on,” she said, wrapping a coil of hair around his arm. “I’ll show you the _royal_ quarters!”

Entrapta _missed_ her bed.

There were times she slept in the lab, of course- she had a pillow and a makeshift blanket-that-was-maybe-a-tarp, and that was all she needed for a few hours. But after several days of traveling, not to mention weeks of all-out war, Entrapta couldn’t have been more thankful for the huge poster bed fit for a queen. It was neatly made and undisturbed, just as it had been when she’d left it, so, so long ago.

Hordak glanced at her. “I’ll...find a chair.” 

Before he could make for the rather uncomfortable looking metal maybe-chair crammed in the corner of the room that Entrapta was quite sure no one had ever sat on before, she stepped in front of him. “Uh-uh, no way. Based on your behavior, you’re still exhausted from the ordeal your body has been through in the past week, and therefore you need actual sleep.” She put her hands on her hips and frowned at him. “And I know you claim you need less rest than Etherians, but since you don’t run off of any alternative power sources that I can see, I think it’s safe to assume you need _sleep._ ”

Hordak glowered down at her, but she simply glowered back, knitting her eyebrows in determination. He crossed his arms over his broad chest and then winced as the armor creaked and groaned- yet another reminder to Entrapta that she needed to get on top of that, _soon-_ until finally, he gave a deep sigh of resignation. 

“Fine.” He raised his hands in surrender. “I’ll try and get some rest. But you have to promise you will, too,” he added, eyeing her. “I know for a fact you are made of more organic material than I. Don’t you remember the last time you overexerted yourself?”

Entrapta froze.

“Of course I remember,” she said, voice suddenly mellow.

_Her eyelids felt like she’d tied blocks of lead to them, but she_ needed _to stay awake. She_ had _to stay awake. She was so close to decoding this last strain of the First One’s language- she was so close to a complete alphabet, and then she could figure out...figure out...what had she been working on again?_

_“How long have you been here?”_

_Hordak’s voice was deep and booming and for a moment it startled her, hair standing on end and datapad she’d been loosely clutching in her sleepy hands clattering to the floor. He flinched apologetically and his red eyes flashed in the darkness- Entrapta reached down with a strand of hair to return the pad to her hands, rubbing at her eyes with the other._

_“Hi, Hordak,” she said, drowsily. “I’m just...working on...” Her words were interrupted with a loud yawn, and she blinked the blurriness out of her eyes furiously, trying to regain her thoughts. “Some stuff,” she settled for finally, satisfied with her word choice. “Important stuff.”_

_Hordak crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes at her. She was getting used to the chilliness behind those bright red orbs- even was becoming comforted at the sight of them, knowing that nothing berating or negative was to follow. (Looking at you, Catra.) Hordak was becoming a simple quiet observer, even a companion. Perhaps he didn’t admit it now, but Entrapta was_ sure _she was growing on him. Which was saying a lot, since that was something she was notoriously bad at._

_“According to my knowledge of Etherians,” he began, taking a step closer, “You require a minimal amount of seven hours of sleep, of which you have gotten...” He folds his arms and glances around the assortment of tech lying at her feet, before back up at her. “Ten minutes.”_

_“And a half!” Entrapta added. “I took a little power nap before you got here.”_

_“A...power nap.” Hordak shakes his head and sighs, not asking for elaboration. “In any case, I think it would be best if you put this project to rest for now and got some sleep.” He screwed up his face and looked away, pointing his nose in the air, and Entrapta almost giggled at the sight. “Not that what you do is any of my concern.”_

_“Awwww,” Entrapta cooed. “Lord Hordak_ does _care about something!”_

 _“I_ don’t- _” He stopped himself and growled. “Just...don’t overexert yourself. I need you.”_

_There was a heartbeat of silence._

_“For the portal!” he added, hastily. “I need you for completion of the portal. Of course.”_

_With another disgruntled huff and a swish of his cloak he stormed out of the lab, leaving a somewhat stunned and still very sleepy Entrapta behind. She sat still for a moment, staring down through her work and onto the floor, mind turning over the words in her head. He probably hadn’t meant it like that- of course he hadn’t, why would he-_

_But just to be sure, she took his advice and got some sleep, anyway._

“Just get some rest, Hordak,” Entrapta said to him as the memory faded. “I need you.”

Hordak’s eyes flashed with the memory, and for a moment she could have _swore_ she saw red, hidden behind the curtains of green. She grinned and shoved him gently in the direction of the large bed, watching as he let out a disgruntled huff, before awkwardly lowering himself down into the mattress and curling in on himself. He watched her quietly, as if waiting to see what she’d do, eyes half-lidded and brow furrowed.

“I’ll be back,” she said. “Just gotta go check up on some stuff.”

“Of course,” Hordak replied drowsily, already almost asleep. Perhaps her favorite mattress just had those sleep-inducing properties, or he was just as tired as she had suspected he wasn’t letting on.

She left her stubborn lab partner to his rest, and bounded off into the darkness of her castle, home once again.

Home with _him._

She didn’t quite remember stumbling back to bed.

Her body had cried out for rest, begging for her to stop reorganizing the lab, preparing everything for tomorrow’s day of work. Hordak’s situation was only going to get worse and she was dead set on helping him- but eventually her legs gave way and her eyes fluttered to stay open, and she dragged herself back to her chambers with her hair, barely registering what was happening as she flopped over next to the inconspicuous lump on her bed. 

As far as Entrapta was concerned, it was back before ever going to the Fright Zone, before ever getting caught up in a war, and she had just pulled another all-nighter to work in the lab. Forget the Hordak-shaped blanket pile on the other side of the bed. Forget the memories drifting at the edge of her subconsciousness. Everything was _fine ._

She woke up as she normally did- hair splayed across every inch of the bed, wrapped around the bedframe and nestled in between the blankets tangled around her legs. “Wild sleeper” was perhaps the best way to explain Entrapta’s methods of getting a good night’s rest- either she curled up in a cocoon of hair or let it grow over the entire room like an infested swamp, and there was no inbetween.

This time, however, there was something different. 

And that something different was her hair wrapped around Hordak, so still he might as well have been dead, her back pressed against his, the cool armor clad against him leaning against her. For a moment in her haze Entrapta barely noticed, before it suddenly occurred to her how _close_ they were.

And how little she minded that fact.

Entrapta favored her own personal space. People were fine so long as they kept their distance, and so long as she was in control, it wasn’t ever bothersome. Normally being curled up so close to anyone- even Hordak- would have caused some sort of reaction. But it _didn’t_.

For a moment she wondered why.

_Perhaps there’s some scientific explanation. I’ll add that to the list of “theories to test involving my very complicated feelings about my very complicated lab partner”. That list is getting...really, really long._

Slowly she unraveled her hair from around him, trying her best not to disturb his slumber. Hordak fully asleep was rare indeed and he likely wouldn’t have to rest for several more days after this, if the dim sunlight filtering into the room told her anything, but it didn’t mean she had to interrupt him. He deserved this. 

Just a few hours of peace.

She quickly got out of bed and hopped into her shoes, stretching and rolling her shoulders, soaking in the sunlight from the singular window in the room. She collected her mask and overclothes, discarded haphazardly next to the bed from the night before, and managed to squirm her way back into her lab overalls, ready for the day.

Normally the kitchen staff would have prepared breakfast- maybe a few squares of tiny toast, or something else equally adorable and at least somewhat nutritious. But they were long gone- perhaps for the best, Entrapta mused- so she decided she’d have to make do. At any rate, she had work to get started on.

After all, Hordak’s brand new exoskeleton wasn’t going to build itself.

He found her in the lab, stark white hair tousled and eyes creased, as though he were still partially waking up. “Look at who finally decided to get up,” Entrapta teased as Hordak made his way over to her, moving with even more stiffness than he had the day before. That was at least concerning, but it was about to be fixed, if she had anything to say about it.

“In my defense,” her lab partner grumbled, arms crossed. “That was the first time I’ve slept in around three months.”

“Oooh.” Entrapta winced. “No rest for the wicked in Horde Prime’s ranks, huh?”

She’d expected a flinch from him, or even just a glare, but he just sighed. “The clones never had much need for sleep. We- _they-_ had one task. Servitude.” He scoffed, reaching up and running his sharp claws through his hair. “Though I can’t say I care much for sleep.”

Entrapta shrugged. “Have to agree with you there. I can never seem to get anything done while I’m asleep.” She looked back at the rig she’d constructed last night, a smirk spreading across her face. “But I can definitely get some work done _today_ ...” She spun dramatically around, hair whipping wildly in purple ribbons, and pointed accusingly at a still very dazed Hordak. “On _you_!”

Hordak’s eyes widened and for a moment she thought she almost saw him feign shock- was that a _joke_ ? From _Hordak_? “I am at your whim and will,” he lamented, extending his arms out. “I do not know how wise that is, but nonetheless, I trust you.”

“Good to know.” Entrapta whipped out a drill from the depths of her hair, brandishing it like a weapon, watching in amusement as Hordak’s eyes zeroed in on it. “You’re gonna need to.”

Working on Hordak came as easy as muscle memory.

Disconnecting Prime’s armor was proving to be a challenge- it seemed to be hard-wired into his already existing implants, and the extraction process was difficult. She made Hordak swear to tell her if she got to a sore spot, but she was quite confident he would simply bear the pain rather than admit it to her, so she settled for monitoring his vitals. They talked for most of it- Entrapta narrated to him what she was doing, and Hordak listened and asked questions when he felt it necessary.

It reminded her all too much of working on him in the Fright Zone. When he had finally allowed her to help him, stubborn though he was. When he had finally let down barriers- physical and not- and showed her his vulnerabilities. His imperfections, as it were.

Piece by piece, she removed Horde Prime’s work on him. Though expertly done, they weren’t crafted for his cybernetics in mind- it was built to be sleek and functional, not to bring any ease of use to the wearer and built specifically to never come off. Though the handiwork was not crude, it was not particularly nice, either- the realization that it had been built for him to die in sent a cold chill down Entrapta’s spine.

She decided not to voice that to him. He likely already knew.

Finally, after hours of work and long conversations (and a few snack breaks, which had resulted in at least one Entrapta-oriented kitchen disaster), most of the armor was removed. Underneath was simply Hordak- his familiar sharp bone structure and wiry frame adorned with his disconnected cybernetics, now with nothing to attach to, gaping and plain against his skin. 

“I’m glad to have that all off,” Hordak murmured, stretching. He winced and hissed in pain as his joints cracked, quickly retracting his arms back to his side, clenching his teeth. Entrapta reached out and steadied him, quickly setting down the wrench she had been holding to assist him.

“Hang in there, Hordak,” Entrapta hummed. “You’re bound to be sore after getting all that off. I just need some time to recover the old plans for your exoskeleton and translate them into something even more streamlined.” She leaned over to a screen, tapping through the selection, before stopping on the blueprint of his armor. “It’s going to be maneuverable, light, and have as much minimal interference with your movement as possible.”

“As always,” Hordak said, still through gritted teeth, “I trust your judgement completely.”

She grinned at him. “I appreciate the vote of confidence.” Her eyes ran over the blueprint, before she leaned back and nodded, firming her jaw. “Okay. This is going to take a while, but...” She looked back at him with a smile. “It’ll get done.”

“And I have full confidence you will.”

_“I have full confidence in your creation.”_

_When he said it, Entrapta almost believed it. He was testing his newfound strength- reaching all the limits they could so they could push them further. The armor was working like a charm- sleek, functional, and- if she did say so herself- quite fashionable. The glittering purple crystal in the center was a testament to the amount of dedication poured into the project._

_“Thanks,” Entrapta had said hesitantly, unsure of how else to reply. He seemed...happy. They were happy. It felt almost too good to last, but- but somehow she wanted to cling to it. Stay here forever, with him. Running tests and doing experiments. Somehow it felt...right._

_Hordak’s exoskeleton was perhaps her favorite invention to date. Whether or not it was the most impressive was hard to say- but he moved so easily now, without pain or spontaneous bursts of agony appearing in a twisted snarl on his face. She was seeing him in a whole new light- as was he. There was something...new about the way they conversed in the lab. Something exciting._

_Something that merited exploration._

_Entrapta would have deemed herself not a very good scientist if she didn’t explore this idea. The idea that maybe, just maybe, there was something more between her and Hordak than an alliance of convenience. That maybe there was a new, unfamiliar layer underneath, just waiting to be tested by a curious scientist and her lab partner._

_It was a_ good _sort of unfamiliar. A_ good _new feeling._

_But good things never last._

“It’s done.”

Entrapta wiped the sweat from her forehead with a tendril of hair, stepping back to look him up and down. Detachable arm plates and his familiar navy blue bodysuit were back, against pale white skin contrasted with the familiar deep gray-blue. A synthetic metallic web was attached to his implants, constructed around his defects and specifically designed to hold him together easier and better suited to maneuverability and no longer with bulky armor fused to the structure. And at the center of it all, adorning the chestpiece, his crystal, catching the soft green-blue light of the lab in its glittering purple face.

“How does it feel?” Entrapta asked, almost breathless.

Hordak slowly rose to his feet, looking down at his hands, flexing his arms. For a moment Entrapta’s mind once again returned to the Fright Zone, and the first time she really, truly bonded with him. And now they were here, together again despite being separated by time and space for so long, and despite the odds stacked against them astronomically high.

“Good,” he responded, voice gentle with awe. “It feels... _good."_

_Log: Day 4_

_I really can’t believe how far we’ve come. Hordak’s armor is really finished! It’s not...armor, per se, but it could be if he wanted it to be. The idea is that the base structure is fused to his body, functionally holding him together, and it’s easily modifiable and changeable! I haven’t asked him what he’s planning on doing about the hair and the eyes. I think he’ll do it on his own time. Maybe I should tell him I did prefer the red, though...or not._

_I’ve been feeling different lately. There’s something about having him with me here on Dryl. I was...lonelier than I’d like to admit, before all of this. Having him here has been a benefit, I digress. Our partnership deserves to be examined further, and I would like to be the one to do it. He still needs time. We both need time. But we have as much as we need._

_I hope he knows I’m here for him if he needs me._

  
  



	4. self

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hordak tries to reclaim himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i originally had a plan for this to be...much more angsty, but i guess my brain defaulted to fluff. so enjoy...a mixture of both. to be honest i've just been winging it this whole time, and i do have a particular conclusion in mind for the story, but for now, HUGE thanks to everyone who comments and leaves kudos. reading comments has been brightening my day lately, and i can only hope i will live up to the expectations.  
> please enjoy and as always, have a lovely day!

It’s the _eyes._

He couldn’t stand them.

He’d tried everything. Went through every tool in the lab, fiddled with every possible wire in the port in the back of his neck, even tried breaking it. Nothing worked. Every time he looked up into his reflection he was met only by a glossy green stare, blank and empty. At least the red had made a statement. Now it was just the face of one of Prime’s clones, sullenly staring back at him.

Hordak had hastily explained the broken mirror in his recently acquired quarters to Entrapta, who had taken his somewhat sheepish account of the broken mirror with much less curiosity than he had expected. She seemed to be trying not to press the matter- which was unusual for her, considering under any other circumstance she would have hounded him for details with all of her usual gusto.

Part of him appreciated it, but part of him wanted to tell her that the reason the mirror was broken was not a freak accident with the wiring system in his room at all, but in fact it was because he couldn’t look at himself without seeing _Prime._

He had been made in Prime’s image, after all. And all of those years of being cast out, of making himself an individual, of giving himself a _name-_ all undone at the whim of his lord and predecessor. All undone at the mere passing thought of a tyrant god.

Shedding the whites and grays of Horde Prime had helped. Entrapta likely couldn’t count the amount of times he’d thanked her after completing his new exoskeleton- and every time she’d reacted with the same unbridled enthusiasm and eagerness to assist him. And every time it made him feel _something._

It was an itch somewhere between his ribs, a steady warmth pulsating through his normally stone-cold body. There was something about the way she so quickly offered to tweak the exoskeleton if it was bothering him, or had laid out her plans to improve the castle. It reactivated long-dead sensations that existed on the bare fringes of his memory, from so long ago working on the portal with her in the Fright Zone.

She kept him sane, and for that, he was thankful.

Logically he knew he’d have to ask her about it. If anyone could figure out why he couldn’t reclaim the one thing that had been truly his, it was Entrapta- she was all too good at unraveling mysteries she had no business being a part of, and he valued that trait. In fact, he valued most of her traits. He valued... _her._

It had been a blissfully long few weeks in Crypto Castle. Hordak had officially decided to search for Imp, feeling slightly terrible for abandoning his tiny companion, and had been met with some amount of resistance from some former Horde soldiers, though they had agreed to make sure Imp found his way back. The more parts of his old life he could reclaim, the better, Hordak had mused. Even if he couldn’t regain his eyes, there were other things he could do.

Such as his trips to the kitchen. When Entrapta was absorbed in her work he found his way through the maze of a castle- which was becoming more and more navigable to him by the day- and experimented. Mostly in an attempt to get his old hair color back via her kitchen’s very large assortments of questionable maybe-edible chemicals.

That had been at least successful, as he had some prior knowledge of chemistry- after getting caught by Entrapta, of course, who had immediately taken to assisting him with the dye. Though piece by piece, he could pick himself back up. He just needed _time._ Time, confidence, and...

_Her._

Somehow, his thoughts always returned to her.

It was almost becoming distracting. While she was hard at work in the lab studying Horde Prime’s abandoned tech, he drifted nearby, lost in thought. A maelstrom of confusing emotions tormented him constantly, a mixture of his frustration with his own lack of separation from Prime and his infatuation with her. When she was away, he _ached_ , and when she was near, he felt like he could nearly fly.

There was no name for these feelings- not that Hordak could place, anyway. Whether or not Entrapta also felt them was something he was nearly afraid to discover, and he deigned to keep them to himself. For now, at least. The matter at hand was more pressing.

The whispers of the Horde echoed in the back of his skull, a constant bothersome reminder of the neural network’s existence. It was a permanent reminder of what he had once been- what they had all been- and even with the main system shorted out, it was still built into his head, soft and droning and _infuriating._

Finally, he swallowed his pride and made a decision.

He needed Entrapta’s help.

“Entrapta...”

The little scientist immediately spun around, face smudged with what appeared to be oil, hair wild and an assortment of tools clasped in both hands and various hair-arm appendages sprouting from her ponytails. “Hordak!” she shrieked, face splitting into a wide grin. “I missed my lab partner!”

“It’s been...around ten minutes, Entrapta.” Hordak felt the muscles on his face twitch and contract into what might have been a smile.

“I know.” She threw her head back and let out a long, dramatic sigh. “Ten minutes is _way_ too long. C’mere, c’mere!” She wrapped a coil of hair around his waist and quickly ushered him over, throwing her arms out in a wide “ta-da” motion, gesturing to the huge overhead screen that outlined an unfamiliar blueprint. “The entire schematic map of Crypto Castle!”

Hordak narrowed his eyes and studied the complex diagram, mouth opening slightly in surprise. “This is incredibly detailed,” he marveled. “The inner workings of this place are magnificent...did _you_ do this?”

“Most of it, yup!” Entrapta said, face flushed with pride. “It’s mostly my brain child. Ah, I _missed_ this place...” She grimaced then, somewhat apologetically. “I should...maaaybe tell the Princess Alliance why I’ve been radio silent for the past few days and let them know I’m not dead, but oh well.” She shrugged, her whole head of hair mirroring her movements. “If they need me, they know where to find me!”

After messing with a few buttons on the mainframe and editing the schematic just a touch, she turned back to Hordak. “Anyway, what brings the great Hordak and my endeared lab partner back to our humble lab abode?”

_She’s in a very good mood today._ The itch in his ribs is back- he loves seeing her happy.

“Your assistance, actually,” he said, tucking his arms behind his back. He didn’t like asking for help. Never had, and likely never would. 

“Oooh,” Entrapta said excitedly. “Are we making another big batch of hair dye? I had an idea that maybe we could see if any of the clones were interested- you know, since you like it so much, and-”

“No, no...” Hordak raised his hands against the onslaught of words, feeling slightly bad for interrupting her. “It’s not that. It’s...” He reached up and reflexively scratched the back of his neck, sharp fingertips dragging across the metal bead embedded into his skin. “It’s Prime’s hivemind. I can’t...” He shook his head. “It’s affecting my ability to think for myself. I can’t alter my eyes at will, I can’t stop _listening_...” 

Suddenly he felt his heart rate spike and his shoulders sagged as he curled in on himself, burying his face in his hands. “I can’t stop _thinking_ about it. Being on Prime’s ship, under his influence, almost-” he choked back the words, retreating a few steps from Entrapta, who was watching with quiet concern. “Almost...”

“Hey,” she said soothingly, and though he couldn’t quite see her, he felt a soft hand land on his shoulder, giving him a comforting squeeze. “Hordak...” Entrapta hesitated. Paused, as though she were thinking deeply about something. “I’m not really good at the whole advice thing, but...”

She gave a little huff and crossed her arms decisively. “But I _am_ good at the tech thing,” she continued. “And we’re going to disconnect you from that hivemind if it takes all night. And all day. And the rest of tomorrow.” He slowly shifted his gaze down to her fully, and he became acutely aware of how close she was to him, and how beautiful her eyes looked in the green half-light of the lab, and...

And how _warm_ he felt all of a sudden, being this close...

He jerked his head up and squared his shoulders, regaining countenance. “If I can help in any way, or repay you...” He flinched with surprise when she quickly shushed him, hair tapping over his mouth and a grin on her face.

“Don’t even start that. We’re getting you back to good old Hordak no matter _what."_

_No matter what._

The extraction was a slow, painful process.

Hordak sat propped up against her, simply listening as she quietly narrated to herself her next course of action, bare hands brandishing a pair of tweezers and another object he couldn’t quite identify from his peripheral vision. He had noticed, however, that she had opted not to wear gloves- and when questioned, she had simply said it was “better for delicate work”.

He wasn’t complaining. The rough callouses on her fingertips and the smooth but detailed pattern worn into her palms was more distracting than anything she said to keep his mind off of what was happening out of sight. It had been many thousands of years since he recalled feeling actual skin-on-skin contact with another person. Gloves lovingly excluded from that statement, he mused.

Her hands were deft and precise against his neck, fingers working in the wires within the chip. “It’s more complicated than everyone else who was chipped,” she muttered, half to herself and half to him as she continued working at it. “I think it’s wired into your nervous system. Built in, even. It’s incredibly complex...” She shifted uncomfortably. “But not impossible to shut off, of course!” she added quickly.

“Of course,” he murmured. 

The soft touch of her hands and the quiet lull of her voice is almost enough to send him to sleep, but a sharp jolt of electricity down his neck made him jump and snarl in pain, twisting away from her hands. Entrapta lets out a shrill apology, reaching out and putting a hand gently on his back. The warm touch of her skin on his drew him back down, his heartbeat slowing as he leaned into her hand.

Time passed slowly, the pain fading into intermittent interruptions. The voices in his mind spun, words indistinguishable and melding together like a cacophonic symphony. Underneath it all he could have sworn he heard the chilly cool voice of Prime himself, beyond the grave, calling him back into single-minded servitude. But every time he felt himself slipping, the touch of Entrapta’s hands drew him back to reality, reminding him of where he was.

_Who_ he was.

Finally, after what felt like centuries, there was a sharp spike of pain sent ricocheting down his spine, jolting him upwards out of his seated position. Entrapta gave a little “ah-ha!” as something in his skull broke loose, the whispers crescendoing into a scream before fading into silence. 

_What have you done?_

It was Prime’s voice. Clear as day, sharp and plain as reality itself. Hordak felt his entire body lurch.

_What have you done._

_what have you done what have you done what have_ I _done-_

  
  


“Hordak!”

“Hordak, come on...”

Slowly the world came back into focus, the lines blurred and the shapes around him jumbled together, strange yet familiar. His head throbbed, his body ached, and suddenly none of that mattered because Entrapta was inches away from his face and examining him, her brow creased in worry.

He probably should have been thinking about other things. Not the gentle slope of her nose or the soft maroon color illuminated in her eyes. Certainly not how she still smelled of metal and cinnamon and how _close_ she was. 

“You passed out on me there for a while, partner,” Entrapta exclaimed, breathless. “I _think_ I disconnected you from the network, but it was one gnarly piece of tech. I really need to look at it further- I think every clone has one, and it might have something to do with your identification and the hivemind, but...”

Her voice slowly spiraled into white noise. Hordak pushed through the pounding in his forehead and struggled to sit up, eyes scanning the room for the closest reflective surface. He caught sight of a glass slate stuffed in the corner of the room, catching the light of the room and faintly mirroring the rest of the lab.

Hordak thought she said something to him while he marched over to it, but his mind was consumed by a low, droning buzz, the hum in his ears overwhelming as he stooped over, peering into the glass.

Green eyes stared back at him, empty and unfeeling.

“Hordak...”

He felt her hand on his shoulder, once again. His hands shook by his sides, his head screaming with pain, legs trembling underneath him. Slowly, almost _elegantly_ , he collapsed to his knees in front of the glass, folding in on himself, wrapping his arms around his chest. Prime’s voice echoed in his mind, a permanent reminder of what he had once been. An eternal stain on anything Hordak wanted to be now. 

He was still a clone of Prime, no matter how hard he tried.

After a moment of silence passed, he suddenly felt warmth curl across his body. Entrapta’s hair gently pulled him into a cocoon, her arms wrapped around his shoulders and back in an embrace as wide as her short arms could manage, her head pressed against his chest, closer than they’d ever been. Slowly he opened his eyes, swallowing down the surge of emotion rising in his throat, raising his head to meet her eyes.

“I think I get it,” Entrapta murmured. “You know, that doesn’t mean you’re still...one of _them_ .” She smiled at him, eyes sparkling with sympathy that he normally would have been repulsed by, but now, he just found it welcoming. “You _know_ who you are, Hordak.”

“I know who I am,” he echoed, voice rumbling in his chest. “I know _exactly_ who I am.”

“Yup.” Entrapta poked his chest with a finger, giggling. “You’re my lab partner. And you’ll figure the rest out,” she added, softly. “You’re free from Prime- from everything. As long as you need me, I’m here.”

“And I’m content staying here with you,” he breathed.

_Always._

It was a few days after that.

Though recalling Prime’s voice even after the neural network had been disconnected still bothered him, he had taken it slowly and managed to distance himself from it. Entrapta had helped. Getting Imp back had helped, too- the tiny creature had attacked him with all the force of a raging river, beyond happy to be back with his master. He’d opened his tiny mouth and chirped “Hordak!” in a very familiar voice- Entrapta’s.

He would, of course, have to sort out the many confusing emotions he’d been having at some point. But there was still time- all the time in the world, in fact- and he had more important things to do. Namely, trying _not_ to burn down the royal kitchen with Entrapta.

She was brandishing a mixer as a weapon and was chasing Imp through the cabinets, while Hordak tried desperately to regain some sort of semblance of sanity. However he’d stopped when he’d caught a brief flash of himself in the reflection of one of the glass stovetops- and, spurred by a touch of curiosity, he’d leaned down and examined himself.

His eyes were red once more.

Perhaps Entrapta was right. Perhaps he _did_ know who he was.

_Log: Day 16_

_You may be noticing this isn’t Entrapta’s voice. That’s because it’s- er- Hordak. She requested I record today’s log. So I am...doing that._

_Progress in Dryl has been going well. Entrapta has fully reclaimed her territory in this maze of a castle, and if I am being completely honest, I enjoy it here. It’s perhaps even more of a technological marvel than the Fright Zone, and experiencing it with her by my side has only been a heightened view of everything around me._

_I don’t know if Entrapta listens back to these, but...I should probably think about approaching the subject of my very muddled emotions. I am beginning to feel more myself- mostly with her help, and I owe her greatly- but...there are still things. Things I do not fully understand._

_Ah- that’s her in the background, asking for my assistance in putting out a fire. Perhaps another time, then._


End file.
